This invention relates to a machine and method for making dowels and, more particularly, to a machine and method for simply making wood dowels.
There is a continuing need in carpentry and related fields for making dowels. It is particularly useful to be able to make dowels of varying sizes and shapes and contours. At the present time dowels are typically available only in fixed shapes and sizes and are produced usually be relatively expensive, complex machinery. This is not entirely satisfactory for those who require specially shaped or sized dowels or desire for some other reason to make their own. For this reason, a number of devices have been constructed to permit the hobbyist and others to make their own dowels.
One such device is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,553,575 issued to Brown. It comprises a stationery cutting tool having an internal bore and a cutting edge at one end of the bore. The cutting tool is held in a vice and a piece of wood stock having a rectangular cross section is driven (rotated) through the cutting edge by a hand held electric drill such that, as the rectangular stock passes through the cutting tool, the dowel is formed. While capable of forming dowels, this device is somewhat awkward to use, dangerous and permits only fixed size dowels to be formed, one for each cutting edge. No variation can be made in the dowel size by way of tapering and the like.
Another dowel forming device is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,715,924 issued to Norris. This device positions a work piece having a rectangular cross section in an elongated hollow sleeve and rotates the work piece such that the end thereof engages a circular saw blade which cuts the periphery of the work piece, thereby forming the dowel. This device also has many of the limitations of those previously described. It can only form one size dowel; it cannot be not tapered, contoured, and the like.
Still another dowel turning device is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,234,974 issued to Ray. This device comprises a square chuck, for holding the workpiece, which is mounted in an electric drill. The workpiece is rotated by the chuck and forced through a hollow cutting tool, which is hand held, to form a dowel. This device in addition to suffering the many limitations to those described above, also is limited in the size dowel that can be formed to the strength of one's hand for holding the cutting tool.
A final dowel making machine is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,630,660 issued to Maguire. In this device a square work piece is passed through a hollow rotatable work holder that also has formed on one end a cutting edge. The rotating piece is driven by a pulley or like device. As the work piece is forced actually along its axis through the rotatable cutter, the dowel is formed. Here again, the dowel can only be formed of one size, cannot be adjusted in shape or tapered and a relatively large amount of force is required to move the work piece through the cutting tool.